TORONTO — So, here’s the thing. Alexander Zverev, who apparently is the top seed around here, somehow pulled off a win against Alexei Popyrin, from Down Under. Final score? 6-7 (8), 6-4, 6-3. It happened on Monday, and now he’s in the semis of the National Bank Open. Why do I remember this? No clue. Maybe it was the sound of the crowd or the fact that someone, somewhere, thought having a giant inflatable kangaroo was a good idea.
Anyway, Zverev, who we should note once was the champ back in 2017, is now set to go head-to-head with Karen Khachanov. Yep, the Russian guy who just beat Alex Michelsen, a U.S. player. That match ended at 6-4, 7-6 (3). What’s next? Well, who really knows with this sport, right? It’s like flip a coin, and maybe it lands on something less chaotic.
Zverev—oh, right, he’s German and ranks as number three—has now reached his 75th ATP Tour semifinal. I mean, 75th! That’s a lot of sweaty socks and racket throws. And he’s on the hunt for his 25th title, plus an eighth at an ATP 1000 Masters. Ambitious much? Yep.
Hey, sidebar here: there are more quarterfinals on Tuesday. Taylor Fritz versus Andrey Rublev, and then there’s Ben Shelton up against Alex De Minaur. Or maybe it’s the other way around. My brain was on tennis overload. Both semifinal matches will be on Wednesday. Bet your bottom dollar Thursday is the day for the grand finale.
Back to Popyrin. This guy had something going with his backhand, which yeah, clipped the net but didn’t care—point won! Fans loved it, especially Mr. Inflatable Kangaroo in the stands. Not sure if it was the kangaroo’s idea, but Zverev blasted a ball straight out of the stadium. A stress relief moment perhaps? Anyway, he snatched two quick games in the second set, only for Popyrin to break back right to a nerve-wracking 4-4. The rally legend, Zverev himself, then got serious again and added another break to even things out.
Zverev, ousted last year in the quarters—remember that?—decided to be more of a closing act this time. Starting the third set strong, he seized another break. Game, set, match, and the crowd went wild. Or maybe it didn’t? I got distracted.
At 28, Zverev’s had a rollercoaster, losing to Jannik Sinner in the Aussie Open final and making it to the French quarters. He’s 4-0 against Popyrin, by the way. Oh, and he’s handled some matches on clay too. Seems half the famous faces gave this Toronto thing a miss—Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper, and Djokovic, to drop a few names.
Popyrin, 25—ranked at 26 if that’s important—just saw his Canadian winning streak go poof after nine matches. Tough break, but hey, he’s young. There’s time. Maybe next year, right?
